Crime, Mysteries & Thrillers discussion

what about alex cross and virgil flowers ?

Joe wrote: "I was going to say the very same thing! If for no other reason, he should be on here for how many other detectives he spawned, the most notable being Robert B. Parker's Spenser, who would probably be at the very top of my list..."

Well I must insist on being mystified by your reaction. I can't think of any reason why a tough, hard-nosed 1940s southern-california style detective who (for the most part) solves crimes with his gat and with his brawn, with his ability to survive gunfire and pummeling should be ranked as one of the top mystery-solvers of all time. He surely doesn't fit in with little-old-lady sleuths and blind-detectives, or with detectives-so-fat-they-can't-even-leave-their-residence-and-therefore-solve-all- their-cases-with-brainpower-alone. He doesn't fit in with a character like Holmes, who solves the most complex crimes simply by sitting down cross-legged on a pillow all night smoking a pipe until he figures out an answer. Marlowe has no philosophy or rationale thinking method to employ; he just suavely blunders his way through until he finds a likely culprit and then tricks them somehow, or beats a confession out of them. He uses force and leverage to eke the truth out of suspects.

Marlowe, Spencer, Spade, and all that type of detective are first and foremost, 'action-figures'. Makes no sense to me, to call them great mystery solvers.

Joe wrote: "James wrote: "Smiley's a spy, not a detective."

So is James Bond."

Yes.

Feliks wrote: "Joe wrote: "I was going to say the very same thing! If for no other reason, he should be on here for how many other detectives he spawned, the most notable being Robert B. Parker's Spenser, who wou..."

That's not always the case, Feliks. Marlowe does have a very definite philosophy. Have you read the books? His way of thinking is clear as glass.

Of course I've read the books, else I would not utter my opinions. Anyway. Okay so if his approach to solving a case is that clear, (as glass) can anyone here state it aloud? As succinctly and firmly as we can state Poirot's or Holmes' or Maigret's?

To be precise, I am not asking what Marlowe's avouched-for philosophy-of-life is. I'm asking, what is his 'fixed' method of solving a case. Marlowe to me is the same as Travis McGee or Jim Rockford. They find themselves in 'situations'. But you couldn't place them in a room with a pipe of tobacco and ask them to solve a complicated puzzle strictly using rationale power alone. That's not their style. They work with street-smarts and they rely on their skills at reading people.

Feliks wrote: "Of course I've read the books, else I would not utter my opinions. Anyway. Okay so if his approach to solving a case is that clear, (as glass) can anyone here state it aloud? As succinctly and firm..."

Why does it matter? Seriously. Marlowe is a PI. He solves cases. Bottom line.

How you may view a detective may not be the same as other people's perceptions. Not everyone thinks a detective figure has to be someone who is a pipe smoker or sits and figure out puzzles using their little grey cells.

Lucy Worsley's just throwing books together these days; this last is of rather dubious quality.

That said, I can come up with my top 10 detectives of all time--
1) Lew Archer
2) Spenser (It seems to me Spenser and Archer have the most in common--the most introspective and/or existential; Raymond Chandler wishes he could write like Parker.)
3) Lord Peter Wimsey (Harriet Vane, IMLTHO, is the first Mary Sue.)
4) Nero Wolfe AND Archie Godwin (it's Archie who puts the shoe leather down)
5) the Continental Op (yeah, he's actually better than Sam Spade, tho' I adore THE MALTESE FALCON)
6) Ned Beaumont
7 ) Lupe Solano
8) Irene Adler (from Carole Nelson Douglas's series--"A Scandal in Bohemia" is my favorite of ACD's stories)
9) Inspector Maigret
10) It's a tossup here b/w Aimee Leduc (Cara Black's investigator) and V. I. Warshawski.

Feliks wrote: "Of course I've read the books, else I would not utter my opinions. Anyway. Okay so if his approach to solving a case is that clear, (as glass) can anyone here state it aloud? As succinctly and firm..."

I don't think anyone would argue that a Spenser is a Holmesian detective, but I didn't know that was the only kind of detectives we were allowed to choose from. I thought we were discussing best detective characters, not which ones are the best pure detective. If that was the topic, I misunderstood.

Joe wrote: "Feliks wrote: "Of course I've read the books, else I would not utter my opinions. Anyway. Okay so if his approach to solving a case is that clear, (as glass) can anyone here state it aloud? As succ..."

It's following the line of conversation on the type of detective, that evolved from a few posts down from the OP. If it was to your top ten list, then there are no exclusions or requirements on who can choose.

I don't have a top 10 list yet, not spread out enough in detective fiction.

Joe wrote: "I don't think anyone would argue that a Spenser is a Holmesian detective, but I didn't know that was the only kind of detectives we were allowed to choose from. ..."

It was just a minor case of, "one of these things is not like the others, one of these things is not the same...".

Haha, yes.

I like the Cormoran Strike books enough to continue with the series but I will get the books from the library, not on kindle or hardcover.

I like JK writing as Galbraith but the key appeal for me is the secretary Robin!

I like the Cormoran Strike books enough to continue with the series but I will get the books from the library, not on kindle or hardcover.

I like JK writing as Galbraith but the key appeal for me is the secretary Robin!

Mad wrote: "I like the Cormoran Strike books enough to continue with the series but I will get the books from the library, not on kindle or hardcover.

I like JK writing as Galbraith but the key appeal for me ..."

Yes! She was my favorite character in Cuckoo's Calling.

Best detectives? .... Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch ... the ultimate grim, loner detective. .. relentless, implacable and consumed by the need to deliver justice. Bosch's greatness lies in the mood Connelly creates and the brilliant plots.

Best British detectives:
Sherlock Holmes
Inspector Morse
Adam Dalgliesh

But my favourite non-British are
Inspector Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg by Fred Vargas
Inspector Maigret by Simenon.

John Rebus

Nero Wolfe is my favorite

Sherlock Holmes & Hercule Poirot top my list, but I also love Armand Gamache (Louise Penny), the Crowther & Westerman series (granted neither are actual detectives) (Imogen Robertson), and Jackson Brodie (Kate Atkinson). Bryant & May can be fun too!

I also like:

Jackson Brodie who appears in Kate Atkinson's Case Histories series. Despite her best attempts to mimic British writing she just cannot escape Americanisms and one example is the name Brodie which is very much American.

Cormoran Strike in Robert Galbraith's (J. K. Rowling's) books. We all forgot about him.

I also like the engineer Jeremy Reid on Jac Wright's book.

Janet wrote: "I also like:

Jackson Brodie who appears in Kate Atkinson's Case Histories series. Despite her best attempts to mimic British writing she just cannot escape Americanisms and one exam..."

I thought Kate Atkinson is British -- I put her books in the British reading room. I need to double check that!

From Kate Atkinson's web site: Kate Atkinson was born in York and now lives in Edinburgh.

Kirsten *Dogs Welcome - People Tolerated" wrote: "From Kate Atkinson's web site: Kate Atkinson was born in York and now lives in Edinburgh."

Oh good. Now I don't have to reshelve her books. Thanks!

Kirsten *Dogs Welcome - People Tolerated" wrote: "From Kate Atkinson's web site: Kate Atkinson was born in York and now lives in Edinburgh."

She was living in Yorkshire for a while. She was like Madonna, loved everything British and identified with British writers. But we notice there are aspects of her writing that are American that she cannot get away from. I think she tried very hard to become part of the English writers' community, but English writers are somewhat snobbish (I am sorry to say). I think she moved to Edinburgh because the Scottish literary scene is a lot more vibrant and more accepting.

It says she was born there. Are you saying she lived in America?

Ah, I got the impression from somewhere that she was originally American. I clearly see that is an error now, after reading her Wikipedia entry. My apologies. I don't know where I picked that up from. Possibly maybe because she read for a doctorate in American Lit.

My mistake. My mistake.

^ bump ^